HOSSFELD & SHARPE TAKE KEN HECKLER TRIBUTE NIGHT WINS AT LANCASTER

HOSSFELD & SHARPE TAKE KEN HECKLER TRIBUTE NIGHT WINS AT LANCASTER

Holmes & Brunka return to victory lane

Story By: Dave Buchanan/Lancaster Speedway

Photos By: Craig Duve

LANCASTER, N.Y. (August 25, 2019) – Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y. made a thrilling last lap pass on Shawn Nye and Patrick Emerling to win the Race of Champions (RoC) Sportsman Modified Series feature on Saturday night at Lancaster Speedway @ New York International Raceway Park.

Rich Sharpe of Lancaster won the 3rd annual Ken Heckler Tribute 51 Street Stock race in dominating fashion. Dave Brunka of Cheektowaga, N.Y. won the 4-Cylinder feature. In the NYPA TQ Midgets, Bobby Holmes of Lockport, N.Y. won for the second week in a row.

Lancaster Speedway hosted its final stock car event before the season-ending U.S. Open weekend on Saturday evening with a solid turnout of 86 cars in the pits across the four divisions.

The RoC Sportsman Modifieds had a full field of 27 cars with former track champions Shawn Nye and Bobby Weber leading the pack to the opening green flag of their 35-lap feature. Nye grabbed the lead on the opening lap with Hossfeld moving up from the third starting spot to run second behind him.

Hossfeld made a move to the inside of Nye on lap 8 to take the lead through turns 1 & 2. Patrick Emerling came from sixth place on the starting grid to follow Hossfeld past Nye to move into second. Emerling ran second to Hossfeld for just seven laps as he passed Hossfeld for the lead on lap 15.

The trio of Emerling, Hossfeld and Nye were the class of the field on this night as they pulled away from the pack. Hossfeld challenged Emerling for the lead on multiple occasions throughout the second half of the race, but did not have any success.

The final caution of the race came on lap 30 when Eddie Hawkins spun out while running inside the top ten. This set up one last restart for the leaders to survive. When the race restarted it was Nye that made the big move as he got by Hossfeld take over the runner-up spot.

Nye then tracked down Emerling and challenged him for the lead on the final lap. He drove his car hard to the inside of Emerling as the pair entered the final two corners of the race. As Nye pulled even with Emerling both cars pushed up the race track. This left the bottom of the track open in turn four for Hossfeld who darted to the inside to make a three-wide pass, and steal the win on the final corner of the race.

It was the second win of the weekend for Hossfeld who won the night before in the RoC Sportsman event at Spencer Speedway. Nye had to settle for second with Emerling falling to third. Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. and Daryl Lewis, Jr. both ran solid races to round out the top five.

Amy Catalano finished sixth after starting dead last in the feature. She suffered a broken rear end in her heat race, but her crew finished the repairs just in time for her to start the feature.

The third annual Ken Heckler Tribute 51 for the Street Stocks paid tribute to former racer and track official Ken Heckler, who passed away suddenly in 2017. A total of 25 Street Stocks lined up to take the green flag for their longest race of the season.

Rich Sharpe started on the pole and led all 51 laps for his first win in the Ken Heckler Tribute race. Tim Welshans started second and chased Sharpe for all 51 laps before settling for a second place finish.

A number of drivers circulated in and out of the top five throughout the entire race. Brian Hoffman got as far as third place until he spun out on lap 21. He collected Lou Carbone before hitting the turn two pit gate with the rear end of his car.

Ken Maltby started tenth and worked his way up to second on lap 34, but on the very same lap he got together with Mike Scott in turn four and spun into the infield. Both cars were forced to go to the end of the field.

Chris Powers hung out in the top five for most of the race after starting third. He did fall out of the top five at one point late in the proceedings before rallying to finish right where he started the race in the third position. Mark Hoch started fourth, and he also bounced around from about third place back to sixth before finishing the night where he started as well. Mike Dalfonso rounded out the top five after starting eighth.

Mike Scott (7th), Jim Dauer (11th) and Scott Soos (17th) each received $300 from WECK Radio for finishing in positions that were randomly chosen before the race to receive the bonus money. Many drivers in the field also received lap money and prizes based on where they were running during the race thanks to the efforts of the Heckler family.

Dave Brunka scored his second win of the season in the 4-Cylinders after leading all 25 laps of their feature from the pole position. Kevin Bainbridge pursued Brunka throughout the event, but could not mount a challenge in the later laps. Chris Pennell finished third followed by Robert Palmer and Dan Dressel.

The NYPA TQ Midgets made their final appearance of the season at Lancaster, and Bobby Holmes dominated the 20-lap feature for his second-straight win. Holmes faced challenges from Dave Wollaber and Kyle Hutchinson during the main event, but his Charlie DiRosa-owned TQ Midget was flawless once again. Wollaber finished second followed by Hutchinson, Andy Nye and Erik Musto. The RoC TQ Midgets will be a part of the U.S. Open.

Lancaster Speedway’s stock car program is now off until the 31st annual U.S. Open weekend on September 13-15. The action starts Friday, September 13 with practice and the conclusion of the Tommy Druar/Tony Jankowiak Memorial 110 for the Race of Champions Modified Series. Saturday, September 14 is headlined by the Joe Reilly Crown Royal Classic 54 for the RoC Sportsman Modifieds and the John Julicher Memorial RoC Super Stock race. The RoC Modifieds are back on Sunday afternoon for the U.S. Open 125. Full details are available at www.lancasternationalspeedway.com.

RESULTS

RACE OF CHAMPIONS SPORTSMAN SERIES

Heat Winners: Chuck Hossfeld, Shawn Nye, Patrick Emerling, Mike Leaty

Feature (UNOFFICIAL): CHUCK HOSSFELD, Shawn Nye, Patrick Emerling, Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr., Daryl Lewis, Jr., Amy Catalano, Bobby Weber, Mike Leaty, Tyler Catalano, Joe Evans, Andy Lewis, John Barber, Dave Kozlowski, Leo Becker, Jeff Szafraniec, Mark Pennell, Eddie Hawkins, Jayme Thompson, Scott Hossfeld, Cassie Logsdon, Paul Townsend, Tony Carbone, Neal Dietz, Jr., Pete Sisti, Jake Vernon, Bobby Hanel DNS: George Skora III

STREET STOCKS

Heat Winners: Nik Welshans, Mike Scott, Tim Welshans

Ken Heckler Tribute 51 Finish (UNOFFICIAL): RICH SHARPE, Tim Welshans, Chris Powers, Mark Hoch, Mike Dalfonso, Nik Welshans, Mike Scott, Ken Maltby, Jerry Kosmowski, Kenny Hejna, Jim Dauer, Garrett Cleversley, Scott Chaplin, Dave Whittaker, Frank Prell, Wes Labar, Scott Soos, Dylan Carbone, Mike Rogers, Ed Culliton, Brian Hoffman, Lou Carbone, Tommy Wentland, Michele Russo, Tim Garlock

4-CYLINDERS

Heat Winners: Charles Palmer, Josh Schosek

Feature: DAVE BRUNKA, Kevin Bainbridge, Chris Pennell, Robert Palmer, Dan Dressel, Casey Pew, Josh Schosek, Charles Palmer, Dave Evans, Justin Vallone, Mason Offhaus, Andy Danielwicz, Mike Long, Kyle Casper

NYPA TQ MIDGETS

Heat Winners: Kyle Hutchinson, Bobby Holmes

Feature: BOBBY HOLMES, Dave Wollaber, Kyle Hutchinson, Andy Nye, Erik Musto, Ryan Fraser, Vinny Christiano, Jr., Vinny Christiano III, Arik McGruder, Luc Munsie, Cameron Ruggiero, Chester Haywood, Jim Musto, Kevin Wilson, Jerry Toms, Greg Urban, Tim Rugggiero, Brandon Zavarella DNS: Ryan Lagoda, Pat Smith